Banjo knee-rest.



A. MORTENSEN.

BANJO KNEE REST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-22, 1917.

Patented Apr. 9,'1918.,

5 Im r INVENTOR.

e n. B y A. M ori'ens W44 TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron AUGUST MOB'IENSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEONARD G. C. DEFFNER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BANJO KNEE-REST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed January 22, 1917. Serial No. 143,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST MoR'rEnsnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Banjo Knee-Rest, of which the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to a banjo knee rest, the object of which is to provide means for supporting the banjo, while being played, more comfortably to the player than is possible where the lugs and bolts of the ordinary banjo rest directly upon the leg of the player.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knee rest which can be easily applied to or detached from the banjo at the will of the user, and which when so detached will not in any way interfere with packing the banjo in the case in which it is ordinarily carried.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be many modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a banjo player illustrating the banjo and banjo knee rest in use,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the side of the banjo frame showing one of the blocks for securing the knee rest to the banjo frame,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the blocks Which are attached to the bolts for tightening the banjo head,

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the knee rest separate from the banjo, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the knee rest.

The numeral 1 indicates the banjo head, 2 the banjo neck, and 3 the rim to which the banjo head is secured and upon which it is tightened by means of the bolts 4, lugs 5 and nuts 6, there being a plurality of said bolts, lugs and nuts, as is well understood in the art.

Two of the bolts are removed from the banjo, and have a block 7 placed thereon, after which the bolts are returned to the banjo and secured in the position shown in Fig. 2, ears 8 and 9 on the blocks 7 embracing the bolts and holding said blocks securely. The two blocks 7 are secured on the under side of the banjo, and they each have a hole 10 therethrough to receive the arms 11 and 12 of the knee-rest 13. The arms 11 and 12 are turned out of the plane of the knee rest 13, and the rod of which the knee rest is made is bent so that it provides two downwardly extending supporting members 14 and 15 formed into a loop at the lower ends thereof to receive short transversely extending pins 16 and 17 which support the ends of a strap 18 or other web made of a suitable material adapted to carry the weight of the banjo when the rest is in use. The ends of the strap are folded over and riveted as indicated at 19 and 20. While a leather strap has been used in the present instance for the support 18 it will be clear that any material may be used which is found convenient for this purpose.

In use the rest is placed in position in the two blocks secured to the under side of the banjo, and when the banjo is being played it is held up against the body with the webbing 18 restin upon the thigh, thereby preventing the series of nuts and lugs around the outer edge of the banjo frame from touching the leg, which is very uncomfortable. l/Vhen not in use the rest may be removed from the banjo, and since the blocks 7 are so small that they do not project beyond the nuts they do not interfere with the packing of the banjo in any way.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows,

1. A banjo knee rest comprising a rod bent to produce four supporting members lying in one plane, two of which have their ends bent at right angles to said plane to produce supporting arms, a pair of blocks adapted to be secured on two of the bolts of a banjo rim, said bolts having holes to receive said supporting arms, and a strap having its ends connected with two of the supporting members for carrying the weight of the instrument on the knee of the player.

2. A banjo knee rest comprising a pair of blocks adapted to be secured on the bolts of a banjo rim, each having an opening carried by two of the supporting members, 10 therethrough extending parallel to said and a strap connected at its ends to said bolts, a rod bent to produce a frame with pins for the support of the banjo. four supporting members in substantially In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 one plane, the ends of two of said members my hand this 13th day of January, A. D.

being bent at right angles thereto to pro- 1917.

duce a pair of arms adapted to be inserted in the holes in said blocks a pair of pins AUGUST MORTENSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Iatenta.

Washington, D. C." 

